Travel is fatal to ignorance

Yesterday, as I was leaving crossfit, a guy that I work with was coming in for the next class.  As I was walking out, he randomly said "don't get hit by a car on your way home"...to which I replied "Once was enough for me" and explained my experience in Thailand.  This guy is your typical Team-America-Fuck-Yeah-Trump-Supporting-Obama-Hating American (not that I'm judging, I am, but whatever...we are who we are, right?)  His suggestion to me was to stay within the confines of the US Border and things like getting hit by a motorbike in Thailand won't happen.  Seriously dude?  Do you really think that pedestrians don't get hit by motor vehicles within the border of the United States?  I call bull shit on that...literally the day before, I took a call of a vehicle versus pedestrian that my Troopers responded to.  And this guy is a law enforcement officer, so I'm pretty sure he is aware that pedestrians get hit by vehicles, it doesn't matter what country you live in.

This brief interlude got me thinking of a quote I recently read:

Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts.  Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.

- Mark Twain

I could've argued with that guy until I was blue in the face about the benefits of leaving the confines of the US Border, but I know well enough that those arguments would've fallen on deaf ears.  I've learned that it's pointless to argue with stoic, close-minded brick walls...it's wasting breath that should be better spent on holding so you can lose it the moment you lay your eyes on an ancient Asian temple - thick with the scent of incense and the ghostly whispers of millions of prayers from yesteryear, or when you witness a Mediterranean sunset, or enjoy a night of laughing with new foreign friends over a few pints of beer.  That's what I'll save my breath for.  Therefore, my response to "stay inside the US Border so you don't get run over" was that that sounded pretty fucking boring to me!

A moment I will never forget, praying with this kind man in an Angkor temple

In all honesty, I'm quite grateful for guys like this one that I work with.  They give me perspective and they do stay within the confines of the US Border - so I don't have to defend their ignorance when I'm travelling abroad (which I've had to do countless times anyways).  I do the best I can to give my country-folk a good name when travelling, especially considering the current conditions in the US (he didn't win the popular vote, y'all).  Respect culture, be open to learning about the people - their struggle and way of life, learn their smiles and embrace their kindness, it's enlightening and eye-opening.

Breath-taking sunsets on Kata Beach, Phuket

So dude, you stick to your American life...I know I can count on you to be all guns-blazing when those "very bad people" come knocking on our doors, here in Small Town America.  I got this travellin' thing covered.  I'll tell you how mouth watering that real Cuban jerk chicken is, and what a bowl of Pho is supposed to taste like, but I'm sure you won't care ;-P

I'll handle the travellin' and capturing of beautiful memories, dude...don't you worry about it!

Happy Trails!

Because...YOLOOOOOO!